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Re: GitP PrC Contest XXXV: The Last Harvest!

Macabre Mask Maker

"I made into masks wood and clay, they mocked me for the crudeness. I made into masks their flesh and bone, to repay them for their rudeness."

Man seek to appear other than they truly do. To some, transformation magic is the best solution, turning into something completely. Others, due to choice or lack of ability favour costumes instead. A few dedicate themselves to making costumes so life like as to rival transformations. Whether for themselves or others, to help or harm, macabre mask makers have sought the art of creating masks with powers to change or influence the wearer.

Becoming a Macabre Mask Maker
Rare is the person who stumbles upon the path of becoming a macabre mask maker. Most set out with the goal, having felt the desire to make such masks for much of their life.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Faceless (Ex): To properly unlock the powers of the macabre mask maker, the first mask the mask they must make is their own. In a process that takes an hour, the macabre mask maker removes their own face and crafts it into a special type of graft mask known as a face mask. This process leaves them without a face, a hole to nothingness in its place, though in a 10 minute process, it may be replaced with a smooth patch of skin. While not wearing a mask, the mask maker is blind, mute, unable to smell, and has blindsense out to 5 feet (if the mask maker has a form of vision that is not from his face, or a means of speaking that is not from his face, they do not suffer being blind and mute respectively. He is also able to smell if he possesses a means of doing so that was not on his face). However, when wearing a mask of any type, they gain the benefit of treating any eyes on it as real, removing the blindness penalty and granting any forms of vision they had before becoming faceless. The same applies to mouths for being mute, and noses for being able to smell.
Another benefit is that the mask maker may put on or take off any graft masks as a move action.

The face mask produced is of the the mask makers own face, and may not be replaced if lost. He can however make a new face mask by removing the face of any living (or undead or deathless) individual he could attach a graft to. The blindsense granted by being faceless is sufficient for the mask maker to do so without penalty. This causes that individual to become faceless as well, however the victim still must spend the normal amount of time putting on or taking off graft masks, and only treats body parts on graft masks as real.

Note if the mask maker is already faceless, he need not make a mask out of his already lacking face, and simply gains the full benefits of the faceless ability upon making his first face mask. The mask maker may not make his own face into a living mask.

Graft Masks (Ex): Macabre mask makers are noteworthy for their ability to create graft masks. These masks act as though alive when worn, seemingly turning the wearer into the creature they depict. Any creature may have materials harvested from it for creating a graft mask. Unlike normal grafts, a graft mask be made without a patient, though use the normal time for attaching a graft to determine the time required to make the mask. Once made, a graft mask requires 10 minutes to put on or take off. Provided the time required to put the mask on is at least a full round action, a second individual may aid the prospective wearer, causing the time required to be reduced as if by one step of the easily worn mask ability (see below), though each must spend the time or action to do so.
While worn, the wearer's body changes to look like that of what the mask is designed to look like. This grants a +5 + half xenoalchemist level bonus to disguise checks to appear as the creature or thing the mask depicts. Note that these changes are cosmetic (though they do actually change the body of the individual), and do not affect stats. Additionally, any changes to size are illusionary (as such they can be seen through with true seeing and suppressed with antimagic fields). While the changes count as supernatural when the mask is put on or taken off, once they have occurred, they are mundane in nature and cannot be suppressed by antimagic fields, or seen through with true seeing. Additionally, any head grafts the wearer has when they wear the graft mask are suppressed until such a time as it is taken off.

Additionally, the mask maker may choose to add a head graft to a graft mask. To do so treat the mask as a recipient for the graft. So long as a head graft is not already attached to the mask, it cannot reject the graft. If this is done, while the mask is worn, if they have not reached their graft limit, they may gain the benefits of the head graft in the mask. The level of a graft attached to a mask may not exceed the graft level of the mask, nor may a level 5 graft be attached to a mask. If the graft level of the mask is 5, it suppresses any level 5 grafts the wearer has.

Graft masks count as grafts, and as such have a graft level. The graft level of a mask is equal to the number of mask abilities it has (minimum 1).

Mask Abilities:

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Easily Worn: This mask is designed to be quickly put on or taken off. The time needed to put it on or take it off is reduced to 1 minute. If the xenoalchemist level is at least 5, is instead reduced to a full-round action. If it is at least 10, the time is reduced to a standard action. If it is at least 15, the time is reduced to a move action.

Prop Mask: This mask is designed to help with a specific task. Upon making it, select a single charisma based skill other than disguise or use magic device (or use psionic device, etc.). The wearer of the mask gains an untyped bonus to that skill equal to one fourth the xenoalchemist level of the mask, rounded up. The mask ability may be select for the same mask more than once, though each time must be for a different skill.

Sizeable Mask: This mask can alter the size of the wearer. For every 5 xenoalchemist levels the mask has, it may increase or decrease the size of the wearer by 1 size category (the total amount chosen when the mask is made). This size change grants a +2 Str and -2 Dex to the wearer per size category increase and -2 Str and +2 Dex to the wearer per size category decrease instead of the normal ability score changes. Note, that these size changes are real, unlike the normal illusionary ones if this ability is not possessed by the mask. As such they cannot be seen through with true seeing and are not suppressed in antimagic fields.

Durable Mask: This mask has its own pool of hit points equal to the twice the xenoalchemist level. When worn, this pool is added to the hit point pool of the wearer. Like temporary hit points, this hp is lost before the hp of the wearer (though after any temporary hit points they might have). Unlike temporary hit points, it may be healed back up line normal hit points. If not worn, the mask regains 1 hp per graft level of the mask per day. Unlike other mask abilities, this one may be added to the same mask multiple times. While the hit point pools stack, this does not increase the rate at which the mask recovers hit points if not worn.

Adaptive Mask: This mask allows the wearer to adapt better to costume prosthesis they possess. While worn, up to half xenoalchemist level of the mask costume prosthesis do not grant penalties to the wearer. The ones that do not grant penalties are chosen upon the creation of the mask or when the postop procedure ability is used on it.

Prosthesis Mask: This mask does not require the wearer to have costume prosthesis grafts to benefit from the grafts of the mask. Up to half the xenoalchemist level grafts on the mask that are at least 2 graft levels lower than the graft level of the mask ma be granted to the wearer, so long as they do not exceed the graft limit of the wearer. If the wearer has a graft in that slot already, it is suppressed and does not count toward their maximum number of grafts while wearing the mask. If the wearer some but not all of the grafts would exceed the graft limit of the wearer, the wearer may choose which grafts to have function upon donning the mask. Choose which grafts benefit for this effect upon adding them to the mask.

Feature Mask: This mask grants some feature of the creature it is made from. Upon making the mask, select one graft with a graft level less than one fifth the xenoalchemist level of the mask (rounded down), and at least one level below the graft level of the mask, that the creature the materials for the mask were harvested from could provide. The wearer of the mask gains the benefits of that graft even if they do not have a costume prosthesis graft in that graft slot. If they have another graft in that slot it is suppressed for as long as the mask is worn. The mask may not have another graft attached in the slot that the graft granted from this mask ability would normally fill (note that the Mad Surgeon feat may be used to change the slot used as normal). If the grafts granted by the mask would exceed the wearer's limit, this graft is always granted, suppressing the graft in the slot it fills to reduce the wearer's graft count, or suppressing another graft they have of their choice upon donning the mask.

Mannerism Mask: This mask causes the wearer it take on the mannerisms of the individual who's face it was made from. This grants the wearer a bonus to disguise checks to appear as that individual equal to half the xenoalchemist level. This ability may only be applied to face masks.

Living Mask: This mask contains the soul and essence of the individual it was made from. When this mask is made, the body of the individual it is made from is left a hollow shell while their essence stored within the mask. While still alive, the body will be mindless and make no actions of its own.

The mask however is very much alive, the individual it was trapped inside it.
When not worn, the individual has full control of the facial features of the mask, including the ability to see and hear, though it cannot speak unless a throat graft is attached to the mask.
When worn, the individual and the wearer may mentally communicate with each other. The individual gains access to all the wearers senses, though it cannot control them. Additionally, the wearer can always sense the surface emotions of the individual as if with the empathy power. A number of rounds per day equal to half the xenoalchemist level of the mask, divided as the wearer chooses, the wearer may treat the individual as if under the effects of the mind probe power. Treat the xenoalchemist level as the manifester level, and use wearer's charisma as the caster stat for the DC. The individual however may, 3 times per day, attempt to influence the wearer as if with the suggestion spell. Treat the 3/4 xenoalchemist level rounded up as the caster level, and use the individuals charisma score as the caster stat for the DC.

If a Living Mask is placed on the hollow body made by creating a Living Mask, it has full control of the body. If the mask also has the controlling mask mask ability, the abilities granted by it can override this control.

This mask ability requires that the mask be a face mask, and that it also have the Mannerism Mask mask ability.

Detecting Mask: The individual in this mask is protected from the normal effects of being a living mask. The wearer of this mask does not gain the ability to read the individuals surface emotions or to mind probe them. Instead, the individual can read the surface emotions of the wearer as if with the empathy power, and may for a number of rounds per day equal to half the xenoalchemist level of the mask, divided as the individual chooses, subject the wearer to the effects of the mind probe power. Treat the xenoalchemist level as the manifester level, and use individual's charisma as the caster stat for the DC.

This mask ability may only be added to face masks with the living mask mask ability.

Suppressed Mask: This mask does not seem to change the appearance of the wearer outside them having a mask on. As such it does not grant the normal disguise bonus. It does however grant any other abilities it has. The wearer may choose to have the mask stop being suppressed as a full-round action. If they do so, suppressing it again is a full-round action.

Tempting Mask: Once worn, this mask makes the wearer want to continue wearing it. Taking it off requires a Will save with a DC of 5 + the number of times they've previously worn the mask + the number of hours they've had it on. This cannot exceed 10 + the Xenoalchemist level of the mask.

Controlling Mask: This mask exerts an influence on the wearer. You may subject the wearer to the effects of a suggestion spell a number of times per day equal to one fifth the xenoalchemist level (round down, minimum 1). If the graft level of the mask is 2, it instead allows one fourth the xenoalchemist usages per day (round down, minimum 1). If the graft level is at least 3, it instead grants one third xenoalchemist level uses per day (round down, minimum 1). If the graft level is 4, it additionally allows you to subject the wearer to the effects of the dominate monster spell a number of times per day equal to one tenth your xenoalchemist level. If the graft level is 5, it instead grants one fifth the xenoalchemist uses of dominate monster per day. For all spells, use the xenoalchemist level as the caster level, and your charisma as the casing stat for DCs, and treat them as supernatural abilities.

You may choose to apply conditional triggers for the usages of the spells. You may give the mask up to 3 + one fifth xenoalchemist level conditional triggers for them, the specific suggestion or commands needing to be chosen when they are made. These will automatically trigger any time the conditions are met if there are daily uses remaining. The Postop Procedure ability may be used to change the conditional triggers after the mask is created.

If the tempting mask ability is also possessed by the mask, any time the wearer fails a will save to remove the mask, it regains a daily usage of suggestion.

If the living mask ability is also possessed by the mask, upon creation the mask maker may choose to allow the individual to make use of the spells on the wearer. This choice may not be changed once made.

Intricate Mask: At each class level after the first, the number of grafts the mask maker may attach to a mask increases by one. A mask may only possess one graft for each type of body slot. The Mad Surgeon feat may be used to circumvent this limit as normal. When the mask is worn, any grafts it has are granted to the wearer if they have a costume prosthesis graft in the equivalent slot and it would not exceed the wearer's graft limit. If it would exceed the wearers graft limit, they may select which ones are not granted upon donning the mask.

Costume Prosthesis Ex: Upon reaching second level, the macabre mask maker learns how to make costume prosthesis grafts. These are mundane 0 level grafts that do not count toward the graft limit of the bearer. They may be made for any body part, and may have the materials harvested from any creature, wood, or metal. A costume prosthesis is able to shift into grafts attached to a graft mask when the mask is worn. However, their nature causes the bearer to suffer a minor penalty depending on the graft slot it occupies.

The mask maker ignores the penalties for one of his costume prosthesis grafts. The one which is ignored may be chosen any time he adds or removes a costume prosthesis graft to or from himself.

Costume Prosthesis Penalties:

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Graft Slot

Penalty

Arms

-1 attack

Body

-1 Fortitude

Eyes

-2 Spot, -2 Search

Hands

-1 to skill checks requiring fine manipulation

Head

-2 Concentration

Legs

-2 Balance, -2 Climb

Shoulders

-1 attack

Throat

-1 Fortitude

Torso

-1 Fortitude

Waist

-1 Fortitude

Prosthesis Adaptation (Ex): The macabre mask maker becomes more adept at dealing with costume prosthesis grafts. Each time he gains this ability he may ignore the penalties for an additional costume prosthesis graft. He may immediately select one to ignore the penalties for upon gaining this ability in addition to changing it upon adding or removing a costume prosthesis graft to or from himself.

Faceless Adaptation (Ex): At fourth level, the macabre mask maker becomes more in tune with his faceless nature. He gains the ability to speak and smell even when not wearing a mask. At level 8, this further improves. His blindsense increases to 15 feet, and he gains 5 feet of blindsight.

Improved Prosthesis (Ex): At fourth level, the mask maker ecomes able to make better costume prosthesis grafts. These act as normal costume prosthesis grafts, except that they don't cause a penalty and are level 1 grafts meaning they count toward the graft limit of the bearer.

Part Salvage: At fifth level the mask maker becomes able to salvage parts from older masks. He may select up to half his class level parts from a mask, and spend an hour salvaging them to be used either as grafts for an individual or for another mask. Any grafts or the mask itself may be treated as parts for this purpose. This process takes one hour plus an additional 15 minute per part after the first being salvaged to complete. If the mask itself is salvaged, it may be recrafted into a new graft mask or if it was a face mask, a face mask, with new mask abilities chosen. If it was a face mask with the mannerism mask or living mask mask abilities, those may again be added to the new mask.

Static Mask: At 6th level, the macabre mask maker becomes able to treat any mask he wears as if it has the suppressed mask mask ability. This is chosen upon donning the mask. Additionally, when doing so, he may choose if he wants its features to move like they are alive or stay in place like a mask. This choice does not impact his ability to make use of the features from the faceless ability.

Duplicate Mask: At 6th level the mask maker learns to make masks that look exactly the same so long as suitable materials are on hand. If he has a mask, he may create an exact copy of it so long as he has materials gathered from a creature of the same type as the mask. This does not cause it to have any grafts on the original mask, nor does it select the abilities. This can be used to duplicate a face mask. The duplicate mask cannot have the mannerism mask mask ability even if the original did, nor any mask abilities that require it. When worn, the mask will make the wearer look the same as the original mask does.
Alternatively, this ability may be used to modify an existing mask to look like another. This still requires materials as if making the mask from scratch, however the mask being modified keeps all mask abilities and grafts it already possesses. If it has the mannerism mask ability or any other mask abilities requiring it, it retains them, though they still apply to who they originally did.

Costumed Body: Upon reaching tenth level, the mask makers body becomes like a costume prosthesis. He no longer needs to have costume prosthesis grafts to gain the benefits of grafts on graft masks he wears. If he has other grafts in that body slot, they are suppressed by the grafts in the mask. Additionally, he may choose to keep any cosmetic changes made to his body indefinitely upon removing the mask aside from ceasing to be faceless. As long as his face is concealed, he continues to gain the full disguise benefit of wearing the mask, while if his faceless nature is shown, he only gains half the benefit. If he would later don and remove a mask, the macabre mask maker may choose between having his body resume the form it had before putting on the mask, his natural form, or having it remain in the form granted by the mask.

Faceless Mastery:Upon reaching tenth level, the macabre mask maker's ability to act while faceless improves further. The blindsense increases to a range of 60 feet, while the blindsight increases to a range of 15 feet. He may also detect colours of things within 5 feet, allowing him to read.

FeatsMask Switch
You can easily exchange one mask you are holding with another.Prerequisites: Faceless, Slight of Hand 4 ranksBenefit: As a free action, you may make a slight of hand check (DC 15) to exchange one unworn mask you are holding with any other unworn mask on your person, in a container on your person (including extradimensional ones), or within 15 feet of yourself you are aware of. You may attempt this once per round with any given mask.
Additionally, Slight of Hand is always a class skill for you.Special: Individuals without the faceless class ability may take this feat so long as they lost their face from a macabre mask maker taking it. However, for such individuals the required slight of hand ranks is increased to 8.

Smooth Mask Change
You may change the mask you are wearing simply by touching it.Prerequisites: Faceless, Mask Switch, Slight of Hand 13 ranksBenefit: As a move action, you may touch a mask you are wearing and attempt to swap it with the Mask Switch ability. This ignores the normal requirement of the mask you are switching out needing to be unworn, though the mask you are swapping it with must still be. This counts as attempting to removing the worn mask and putting on the new mask.
You may also make a touch attack on an individual wearing a mask to attempt to touch the mask they are wearing and swap it with another.Special: Individuals without the faceless class ability may take this feat so long as they lost their face from a macabre mask maker taking it. However, for such individuals the required slight of hand ranks is increased to 15.

Deformed Mask Maker
You may create masks that disfigure the wearer.Prerequisites: Graft MasksBenefit: You may graft handicap grafts into graft masks the same as normal grafts. As normal, they do not count toward the graft limit of the mask wearer. Additionally, they do not require that the wearer have costume prosthesis grafts in the corresponding slots. They will always manifest on the mask wearer and suppress any grafts currently occupying the slot.

The Mask Behind the Mask
You may have become able to wear a graft mask on top of another mask.Prerequisites: Static MaskBenefit: Then wearing a mask or graft mask, you may don another graft mask. If the first mask worn is also a graft mask, all grafts and mask abilities of it are suppressed until such a time as you remove the second mask. The exceptions to this are the Suppressed Mask, Tempting Mask, Mannerism Mask, Living Mask and Detecting Mask mask abilities, which continue to function if possessed by the first mask worn.Special: This feat may be taken by individuals without the static mask ability, but if they do so they may only wear masks with the suppressed mask ability under other masks.
This feat may be taken multiple times, for each time it is taken, you may wear an additional mask atop other masks. Note benefits to disguise from multiple mannerism masks do not stack, but each apply to disguise checks to appear as separate individuals.
If you also possess the smooth mask change feat, you may attempt to change a mask worn under others without disturbing the top mask worn. You may also use it to swap the order of the masks worn despite the normal requirement that the mask you are swapping the touched mask with with be unworn.

Playing a Macabre Mask Maker
Macabre mask makers are mainly support characters. They can however make use of their masks to either fill in for lacking rolls in a group or to back up rolls already filled, making use of their ability to quickly change masks and thus abilities.Combat: In combat you will most likely use your masks to grant yourself abilities suited to the fight at hand. You may also give masks to allies to help them, or enemies in the case of masks that can harm the wearer.Advancement: Most macabre mask makers will advance in classes that continue to improve their xenoalchemy and thus masks. However, those that improve stealth, infiltration, or combat can also work.Resources: What resources are available to a macabre mask maker vary depending on where they are and the individual. Some have shopkeepers who will help them in exchange for masks to sell as wares, other are linked to groups that make use of their masks for performances or other types of jobs. It is also not unheard of for some macabre mask makers to form groups dedicated to preserving the art of making masks.

Macabre Mask Makers in the World's not right I say. People losing their faces while they sleep. Just ain't natural. Even hear rumours of a spirit stalking the woods outside'a town. They say it can be seen some nights, looking like the people who's faces it stole.

Macabre mask makers are perceived various ways, often based on how they act. Some are thought to be face steaming monsters, largely due to their habits of stealing faces. Others are considered the makers of cursed masks, because they make cursed masks. Still others are considered boons of those they work with, creating masks granting great power, or helping through using those masks themselves.Daily Life: The daily life of a macabre mask maker can be quite varied depending on how they make use of their abilities. Still, most regularly spend time making new masks, or improving those already made.Notables: The Thousand Faced Terror is was a macabre mask maker of some note, known for stealing the faces of thousands of victims, trapping their souls in the masks it made that it might better impersonate them and do the same to their friends and family. Many a town was decimated by its presence before it one day stopped. Some say it was finally tracked down and killed, others say it died to bad luck and no one found out due to it looking like another person. The cynics however believe it is till out there biding its time to show up again.Organizations: While there are no large organizations of macabre mask makers, there are some small groups that form, dedicated to preserving the arts, and teaching them to a select few. There are also some organizations that work with macabre mask makers for their services, making use of the masks made.

NPC Reaction
Most NPCs view the average macabre mask maker as a simple artisan making masks. However, depending on the mask maker, they may be viewed as a face stealing monster, a maker of cursed masks, or a maker of useful enchanted masks. Some are even viewed as shapeshifters by those who don't know the details behind their changing forms. It largely depends on how the mask maker presents himself.

Macabre Mask Makers in the Game
The macabre mask maker allows buffs or penalties to be granted among the party much like a normal xenoalchemist, though in this case much more readily changed. It also allows options for gaining information or infiltration that might not otherwise be there.Adaptation: The macabre mask maker could be represented as a face stealer, or one stealing the essence of their prey rather than actually carving masks from body parts.Encounters: A macabre mask maker may be encountered in any of a number of rolls. Examples are a merchant selling masks, whether beneficial or cursed, a face stealing menace, an infiltrator, or the supplier of masks for a group the PCs encounter.